STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Get to know Emmett Booth, Clinical Librarian at the Academic Commons

What is your title, and when did you start working at the Academic Commons? 
My title is Clinical Librarian, specifically in service to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital and Jefferson Abington Hospital. I started working at the Academic Commons in June 2024. 

What is your role, and how are your days typically structured?
My role is to provide research support to the medical communities at Jefferson's Einstein and Abington hospitals. My duties range from assisting with literature searches to giving presentations about library resources to creating and maintaining research guides. My days are structured around consultations, workshops, and meetings with various hospital committees and my fellow librarians. 

Before working at Jefferson, what did you do, and why was Jefferson the next step in your journey?
My previous position was as a science and engineering librarian at Temple while I finished my Master's in Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) coursework. I worked closely with medical librarians at Temple and was inspired by the work they did. This position allows me to put what I have learned into practice. 

From working in various library settings, how do you define the value of a medical librarian, and how can you use your skills to help the medical community?
I believe the value of a medical librarian is making sure that the medical community has the tools, the resources, and the training to do their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible. There’s an overwhelming sea of information out there, and my job is to help find the signal in the noise. 

What excites you about your new position?
I’m excited to provide library services to Jefferson Health communities that have gone without those services for some time. We’re breaking new ground and trying to close the gap between the valuable work being done at these hospitals and the resources Jefferson Libraries provide. I’m thrilled by the opportunity to make this position my own. I became a librarian to use information to help make people’s lives easier, and that’s what I intend to do in this position.

How can people reach you?
I can always be reached via email at emmett.booth@jefferson.edu. I can be found in person on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital’s Luria Learning Center (located on the 4th floor of the Hackenburg Building) and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Jefferson Abington Hospital’s Wilmer Memorial Library (located in the basement of the Dixon Building).

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
I cohost the NotACast podcast with my friend Manu. We’ve been going through A Song of Ice and Fire, the books by George RR Martin that were adapted into Game of Thrones. We’re also currently covering Season 2 of House of the Dragon on HBO. I also love cooking, watching old movies, and spending time in green places in or near Philadelphia, such as the Morris Arboretum and Longwood Gardens. 

What is something interesting you recently watched or heard that caught your attention?
I’m a big horror fan, and it’s been a good year for horror movies, ranging from well-oiled suspense generators (Longlegs, The First Omen) to more dreamy and atmospheric entries (I Saw the TV Glow, In a Violent Nature). And there’s more to come: I’ll be seated on opening night for Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu. 

Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
I think of myself as the connective tissue between Jefferson Libraries and Jefferson's Einstein & Abington hospitals, so I’m always open to collaboration with any of my colleagues. We’re all responsible for knitting Jefferson together for the benefit of the communities we serve, so feel free to reach out to me anytime.